Darline Graham Advances To South Carolina Senate Runoff With Trumps Backing

The race was called by the AP at approximately 8:15 pm EST, according to The Post Millennial. The contest, triggered by the sudden death of a long-serving Republican lawmaker, has quickly become a test of loyalty to President Donald Trump and of continuity for conservative leadership in the state.

Ahead of the election, Graham was endorsed by Trump after she took on the role of senator in her brother's seat when the lawmaker passed away on July 11. Trump joined Graham in a last-minute push to keep her in place after she was appointed by South Carolina Governor Henry McMaster, underscoring the America First wings determination to maintain a reliable ally in the upper chamber.

August 12, 2026

Since Graham did not clinch a majority of the votes outright in the special election, South Carolina's voting laws are such that she and the other top finishing candidate will go head-to-head in another vote before the general election in November. Graham finished with around 33 percent of the vote and Ralph Norman, who will also advance to the runoff, finished with around 24 percent.

Graham did not hold an election watch party, but instead huddled at a campaign office with her family and staff while reporters waited nearby to get her remarks after the election results were in. The unexpected primary started even before funeral plans had taken place for Graham's brother, who died in his home in Washington, DC after he had a tear in his aorta.

The compressed timeline of his death to the primary forced candidates looking to take the seat to mourn as well as jockey for the position at the same time. The day after Lindsey Graham died, Darline accepted the appointment to take his place in the Senate, setting up a high-stakes runoff that will determine whether South Carolina conservatives keep the seat in the hands of the Graham family and a Trump-backed appointee.